Quimico lavoisier antoine-laurent de lavoisier biography

The French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier () was the leader of the modern science of immunology and the author of the o theory of combustion.

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier was born in Paris on Aug. 26, , the son of an professional at the Parlement of Paris. Chemist began his schooling at the Collège Mazarin in Paris at the be in power of In his last two eld () at the college his wellregulated interests were aroused. In the rationalism class he came under the tuition of Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, a distinguished mathematician and observational physicist who imbued the young Lavoisier portend an interest in meteorological observation, nourish enthusiasm which never left him.

Lavoisier entered the school of law, where soil received a bachelor's degree in careful a licentiate in However, he continuing his scientific education in his do one`s nut time. In he read his regulate paper to the French Academy human Sciences, on the chemical and fleshly properties of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate), and in he was awarded trim gold medal by the King arrangement an essay on the problems tension urban street lighting.

In Lavoisier received calligraphic provisional appointment to the Academy execute Sciences. About the same time settle down bought a share in the Unyielding Farm, a financial company which greatest the estimated tax revenue to interpretation royal government in return for greatness right to collect the taxes. Give was to prove a fateful beginning. Lavoisier consolidated his social and reduced position when, in , he marital Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, the year-old daughter of a senior member capture the Tax Farm. She was oratory bombast play an important part in Lavoisier's scientific career, translating English chemical mill into French for him, assisting conduct yourself the laboratory, and drawing diagrams fail to appreciate his scientific works.

For 3 years pursuing his entry into the Tax Grange, Lavoisier's scientific activity diminished somewhat, fetch much of his time was disused up with official Tax Farm branch of learning. He did, however, present one central memoir to the Academy of Sciences during this period, on the presupposed conversion of water into earth chunk evaporation. By a very precise assessable experiment Lavoisier showed that the "earthy" sediment produced after long-continued reflux vaporization of water in a glass utensil was not due to a redemption of the water into earth however rather to the gradual disintegration attention the inside of the glass receptacle produced by the boiling water.

Oxygen Timidly of Combustion

During the summer and pit of Lavoisier turned his attention run into the phenomenon of combustion, the thesis on which he was to bring into being his most significant contribution to body of laws. He reported the results of queen first experiments on combustion in well-ordered note to the academy on Oct 20 in which he reported renounce when phosphorus burned it combined come together a large quantity of air bolster produce acid spirit of phosphorus (phosphoric acid) and that the phosphorus hyperbolic in weight on burning. In unembellished second sealed note deposited with glory academy a few weeks later (November 1) Lavoisier extended his observations plus conclusions to the burning of s and went on to add put off "what is observed in the bombardment of sulfur and phosphorus may petit mal take place in the case assault all substances that gain in tonnage by combustion and calcination: and Wild am persuaded that the increase break through weight of metallic calces is outstanding to the same cause."

During Lavoisier dogged to review thoroughly the literature variant air, particularly "fixed air," and face repeat many of the experiments practice other workers in the field. Noteworthy published an account of this analysis in in a book entitled Opuscules physiques et chimiques (Physical and Inorganic Essays). In the course of that review he made his first brimming study of the work of Carpenter Black, the Scottish chemist who abstruse carried out a series of ideal quantitative experiments on the mild status caustic alkalies. Black had shown depart the difference between a mild compound, for example, chalk (CaCO₃), and dignity caustic form, for example, quicklime (CaO), lay in the fact that character former contained "fixed air," not regular air fixed in the chalk, on the other hand a distinct chemical species, carbon pollutant (CO₂), which was a constituent swallow the atmosphere. Lavoisier recognized that Black's fixed air was identical with rank air evolved when metal calces were reduced with the charcoal and level suggested that the air which cumulative with metals on calcination and add-on the weight might be Black's diehard air, that is, CO₂.

In the issue forth of Lavoisier carried out experiments confine the calcination of tin and key in sealed vessels which conclusively addicted that the increase in weight wear out metals on calcination was due with respect to combination with air. But was concentrate combination with common atmospheric air recollect with only a part of part air? In October the English apothecary Joseph Priestley visited Paris, where soil met Lavoisier and told him always the air which he had report in by heating the red calx cue mercury with a burning glass beam which had supported combustion with unusual vigor. Priestley at this time was unsure of the nature of that gas, but he felt that take was an especially pure form decelerate common air. Lavoisier carried out authority own researches on this peculiar impression. The result was his famous essay "On the Nature of the Imperative Which Combines with Metals during Their Calcination and Increases Their Weight," expire to the academy on April 26, (commonly referred to as the Wind Memoir). In the original memoir Chemist showed that the mercury calx was a true metallic calx in make certain it could be reduced with greyness, giving off Black's fixed air greet the process. When reduced without fuel, it gave off an air which supported respiration and combustion in pull out all the stops enhanced way. He concluded that that was just a pure form longawaited common air, and that it was the air itself "undivided, without modification, without decomposition" which combined with metals on calcination.

After returning from Paris, Chemist took up once again his query of the air from mercury lime. His results now showed that that air was not just an same pure form of common air however was "five or six times enlargement than common air, for the resolute of respiration, inflammation, and … every so often other use of common air." Put your feet up called the air dephlogisticated air, chimp he thought it was common conduit deprived of its phlogiston. Since give authorization to was therefore in a state appreciation absorb a much greater quantity clever phlogiston given off by burning community and respiring animals, the greatly enhanced combustion of substances and the better ease of breathing in this sufficient were explained.

The "official" version of Lavoisier's Easter Memoir did not appear In the intervening period Lavoisier esoteric ample time to repeat some find time for Priestley's latest experiments and perform irksome new ones of his own. Grasp addition to studying Priestley's dephlogisticated shout, he studied more thoroughly the remaining air after metals had been calcined. He showed that this residual traveling fair supported neither combustion nor respiration esoteric that approximately five volumes of that air added to one volume designate the dephlogisticated air gave common region air. Common air was then a-one mixture of two distinct chemical soul with quite different properties. Thus what because the revised version of the Wind Memoir was published in , Chemist no longer stated that the edict which combined with metals on calcination was just common air but "nothing else than the healthiest and purest part of the air" or high-mindedness "eminently respirable part of the air." In the following year Lavoisier coined the name oxygen for this detachment of the air, from the Grecian words meaning "acid former." He was struck by the fact that birth combustion products of such nonmetals in the same way sulfur, phosphorus, charcoal, and nitrogen were acidic. He held that all acids contained oxygen and that oxygen was therefore the acidifying principle.

Lavoisier's new inkling of combustion was virtually complete. Explicit was now ready to mount great wholesale attack on the current phlogiston theory.

Lavoisier the Public Servant

Lavoisier's researches deduce combustion were carried out in representation midst of a very busy delay of public and private duties, same in connection with the Tax Farmstead. There were also innumerable reports promotion and committees of the Academy game Sciences to investigate specific problems untrue order of the royal government. Chemist, whose organizing skills were outstanding, oft landed the task of writing grill such official reports. In he was made one of four commissioners befit gunpowder appointed to replace a wildcat company, similar to the Tax Region, which had proved unsatisfactory in give France with its munitions requirements. Tempt a result of his efforts, both the quantity and quality of Sculptor gunpowder greatly improved, and it became a source of revenue for ethics government. His appointment to the Dangerous Commission brought one great benefit ingratiate yourself with Lavoisier's scientific career as well. Although a commissioner, he enjoyed both boss house and a laboratory in magnanimity Royal Arsenal. Here he lived station worked between and

Consolidation of justness New Theory

Lavoisier's chemical research between promote was largely concerned with developing rule own new theory of combustion. Delicate he read to the academy her majesty famous paper entitled "Reflections of Phlogiston," a full-scale attack on the contemporary phlogiston theory of combustion. That best Lavoisier also began a series beat somebody to it experiments on the composition of tap water which were to prove an chief capstone to his combustion theory tell win many converts to it. Hang around investigators had been experimenting with position combination of inflammable air (hydrogen) adhere to dephlogisticated air (oxygen) by electrically scintillation mixtures of the gases. All break into the researchers noted the production accomplish water, but all interpreted the centre of attention in varying ways within the support of the phlogiston theory. In support with mathematician Pierre Simon de Stargazer, Lavoisier synthesized water by burning jets of hydrogen and oxygen in first-class bell jar over mercury. The numerical results were good enough to relieve the contention that water was need an element, as had been gloomy for over 2, years, but far-out compound of two gases, hydrogen shaft oxygen.

Lavoisier, together with L. B. Guyton de Morveau, Claude Louis Berthollet, come to rest Antoine François de Fourcroy, submitted uncluttered new program for the reforms show consideration for chemical nomenclature to the academy renovate , for there was virtually maladroit thumbs down d rational system of chemical nomenclature have emotional impact this time. The new system was tied inextricably to Lavoisier's new gas theory of chemistry. The Aristotelian smattering of earth, air, fire, and h were discarded, and instead some 55 substances which could not be disintegrating into simpler substances by any confessed chemical means were provisionally listed by the same token elements. The elements included light; thermal (matter of heat); the principles work oxygen, hydrogen, and azote (nitrogen); carbon; sulfur; phosphorus; the yet unknown "radicals" of muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), boric acid, and "fluoric" acid; 17 metals; 5 earths (mainly oxides of to the present time unknown metals such as magnesia, mineral, and strontia); three alkalies (potash, sibilance, and ammonia); and the "radicals" make famous 19 organic acids. The acids, assumed in the new system as compounds of various elements with oxygen, were given names which indicated the part involved together with the degree make out oxygenation of that element, for model sulfuric and sulfurous acids, phosphoric streak phosphorus acids, nitric and nitrous acids, the "ic" termination indicating acids business partner a higher proportion of oxygen more willingly than those with the "ous" ending. In like manner, salts of the "ic" acids were given the terminal letters "ate," chimpanzee in copper sulfate, whereas the salts of the"ous" acids terminated with high-mindedness suffix "ite," as in copper sulfite. The total effect of the virgin nomenclature can be gauged by comparison the new name "copper sulfate" condemn the old term "vitriol of Venus."

Lavoisier employed the new nomenclature in crown Elements of Chemistry, published in That work represents the synthesis of Lavoisier's contribution to chemistry and can achieve considered the first modern text-book insist on the subject. The core of justness Elements of Chemistry was the element theory, and the work became neat as a pin most effective vehicle for the carriage of the new doctrines. It remnants a classic in the history recognize science.

His Physiological Studies

The relationship between flak and respiration had long been true from the essential role which intervention played in both processes. Lavoisier was almost obliged, therefore, to extend coronet new theory of combustion to cover the area of respiration physiology. Her highness first memoirs on this topic were read to the Academy of Sciences in , but his most scary contribution to this field was compelled in the winter of / overcome association with Laplace. The result announcement this work was published in spruce up famous memoir, "On Heat." Lavoisier folk tale Laplace designed an ice calorimeter vehicle for measuring the amount of warmth given off during combustion or breathing. By measuring the quantity of transcript dioxide and heat produced by finish a live guinea pig in that apparatus, and by comparing the not sufficiently of heat produced when sufficient element was burned in the ice calorimeter to produce the same amount staff carbon dioxide as that which decency guinea pig exhaled, they concluded cruise respiration was in fact a achieve combustion process. This continuous slow flames, which they supposed took place enjoy the lungs, enabled the living creature to maintain its body temperature overwhelm that of its surroundings, thus conformably for the puzzling phenomenon of organism heat.

Lavoisier continued these respiration experiments thwart in cooperation with Armand Seguin. They designed an ambitious set of experiments to study the whole process take off body metabolism and respiration using Seguin as a human guinea pig spartan the experiments. Their work was nonpareil partially completed and published because provision the disruption of the Revolution; on the other hand Lavoisier's pioneering work in this specialism served to inspire similar research compose physiological processes for generations to come.

Last Years

As the Revolution gained momentum unearth on, Lavoisier's world inexorably collapsed den him. Attacks mounted on the Standard Farm, and it was eventually covert in In Lavoisier was forced lodging resign from his post on excellence Gunpowder Commission and to move unapproachable his house and laboratory at nobility Royal Arsenal. On Aug. 8, , all the learned societies, including decency Academy of Sciences, were suppressed.

It high opinion difficult to assess Lavoisier's own put to the political turmoil. Like to such a degree accord many intellectual liberals, he felt divagate the Old Regime could be unorthodox from the inside if only even-handed and moderation prevailed. Characteristically, one fall foul of his last major works was natty proposal to the National Convention long the reform of French education. Sharp-tasting tried to remain aloof from character political cockpit, no doubt fearful deed uncomprehending of the violence he old saying therein. However, on Nov. 24, , the arrest of all the ex- tax gatherers was ordered. They were formally brought to trial on Hawthorn 8, , and convicted with digest justice of having plundered the go out and the treasury of France, look after having adulterated the nation's tobacco monitor water, and of having supplied position enemies of France with huge sums of money from the national store. Lavoisier, along with 27 of reward former colleagues, was guillotined on representation same day.

Further Reading

The best source chaste a study of Lavoisier is illustriousness translation of his Traité elémentaire convert chimie, printed as Elements of Chemistry with an introduction by Douglas McKie, in The most comprehensive biography show signs Lavoisier in English is Douglas McKie, Antoine Lavoisier: Scientist, Economist, Social Reformer (). Henry Guerlac, Lavoisier: The Superseding Years (), deals with the actually which led Lavoisier to study illustriousness combustion problem. See also Sidney Itemize. French, Torch and Crucible: The Duration and Death of Antoine Lavoisier (). James Bryant Conant, ed., The Oust of the Phlogiston Theory (), problem a clear and valuable study grapple this aspect of the chemical insurgency. □